Apparatus for making rubber heel molds



Feb. 11, 1958 K. HUFF ETAL APPARATUS RoR MAKING RUBBER HEELMoLDs Filed May 23, 1955 S 3 R s on E H /Q S FE y 5 F .f n Y UM r 4 HL M f n LE m b 4. RM a 6 A/ w 6 Kw /J vrvrmls 0 N N m A Y B fw 4 2 s Ah 7 n A R Mln RHIN Rn n' 0 i A 6 l e l l 7 4. 4 2 w W w SM .v Kyu, RHMMM United States Patent APPARATUS FOR MAKING RUBBER HEEL MOLDS Karl Huff, Ahlem, near Hannover, and Wilhelm Ehlers,

Sarstedt, Germany, assignors to Continental Gummi- Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Hannover-Limmen Germany Application May 23, 1955, Serial No. 510,318

Germany May 20, 1949 Public Law 619, August 23, 1954 Patent expires May 20, 1969 4 Claims. (Cl. 18--1) The invention relates to an apparatus for placing washers onto the maledies in rubber heel molds, which apparatus is distinguished from those known in the .art by being especially simple and by being applicable with heel molds comprising a mold bottom and two cover plates with countersunk holes.

Rubber heel molds usually comprise an upper and a lower mold half, with male dies provided protruding upwardly from the lower mold plate so as to form openings into the heels through which nails and the like may be passed as protection against wear. Washers underlying the nail heads are placed in these openings, preferably during the molding process or immediately upon the completion of same. These washers are preferably pressseated in the material of the heel in which the nail openings are made. A plurality of openings in a rubber heel are arranged according to a certain hole pattern.

The apparatus according to the invention is particularly characterized by the use of a single slide plate whichis movable horizontally across the mold base containing the male dies which are mounted on the stationary bottom plate. Washers are fed into the openings of said slide plate from a tube-shaped washer magazine, whereupon the slide displaces the washers laterally into passage openings in the base plate arranged centrally about the dies. This slide is of uniform design for a particular hole pattern, so that by means of one single movement of the slide, all dies of the formed pattern are supplied with washers. In order to prevent slanting of the washers when falling through the passage openings, and thus to eliminate a faulty placing of the same on the dies, it is proposed, according to a further feature of the invention, to maintain the distance of the center of the washer magazine from the forming dies smaller than the diameter of the washers.

The arrangement of the nail holes in the rubber heel is a standard one and cannot be chosen or changed at random, since the further stepsof elaboration by the nailing machine are adapted to the standard nail hole patterns. Therefore, in the apparatus according to the invention, sutiicient marginal space on each side of the heel for working the marginal sections must be provided to render operation of the slide and slide guiding means sufficiently stable and suitable for achieving a reliable operative eiect along that margin. This is achieved according to the invention by arranging the washer magazines so that they are alternately displaced in relation to the dies in such a manner that the washers may be released from part of the magazines at the forward and from the remaining magazines at the backward movement ofthe slide plateA The arrangement'is such that the washer magazines which are arranged at' the most remote'po'sition from one another, i. e., nearest to the margin ofl the heel mold, are displaced Withr'elation to the corresponding dies toward the interior ofthe apparatus, thereby limitl 2,822,572 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 ice Y E' plate 11 attached tothe lower end thereof in either direction to the connes of the mold cavity. The openings in the slide plate are correspondingly displaced.

Thereby, equally satisfactory positions are provided for all washer magazines with regard to the hole pattern on the slide plate, so that it becomes possible to build an apparatus which functions safely mechanically and to guarantee a safe placing ofthe washers on the diesl since it is possible to arrange the slide so that it passes directly over the dies.

The several objects vand advantages referred to above will become more apparent upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front'view of the the invention;

Figure 2 yis a top view of the apparatus shown in'Figure l;

Figure is a longitudinal sectional view along line A-B of Figure 2; and

Figures 4, 5, .and -illustrate various operational positions ofthe slide plate shown in Figure 3.

Figure 7 illustrates, in an enlarged cross sectional View, the region of the magazine 9b in Figure 3.

The casing of the apparatus consists essentially of the apparatus according to base plate l andthe top plate 2 which are connected with one-another at their edges by meansv of screws 3. The base plate lly is provided near its circumference with a centering rim 4 which insures its position relative to the mold 5. in the mold 5, the male dies 6a, 6b are` rigidly mounted in order to form the holes for the nails in the rubber heels. Their lower portion is of a larger diameter than their upper part, the latter forming a supporting pin for the washers which are placed ontlie shoulder thus formed inthe die. Centrally, in relation to these dires 6a, 6b, passage openings 7 are provided in the base plate 1 for thepassage of the washers, which passages have a somewhat larger diameter than the washers themselves.

ing [the strokes of 'the lever 1S and-the travel of the-slide i Displaced' to one side from the center of the passage openings, there are bores 8 provided in the top plate 2 whose diameter isralso somewhat larger than that of the washers and the washer magazines,the displacement of these bores-relative to the dies-being in the same direction for all dies. Furthermore, the top plate bears a handle 10.

Betweenthe base plate 1 and the top plate 2, a slide plate 11 is arranged with a little play, which slide plate is somewhat thinner than the Washers. This slide plate is also provided with openings 12 which are somewhat larger in diameter than the washers and have the same distance relative to each other as the dies 6a and 6b according to their positions at the heel point and heel base, respectively or the magazines Sand/or 9a, 9b. With regard to the washer magazines and dies, a distinction is n made between amagazine 9a being arranged atthe heel pointy and a magazineV 9b near the heel base, while the dies are correspondinglyA designated with 6a and 6b, re'- spectively. The slide 11 is urged permanently against the base plate 1. bymeans of small springs 13.v At its upper surface, it is provided with a projection 14 protruding through a slot in the top plate, which projection 14 engages an actuating double lever 15 pivotally mounted at the fulcrum 16 in the handle 10. The lever 15 is urged backwardly into inoperative position by the spring 17.

ein itslinitialY or resting position, the slide 11 occupies the position shown in lFigures and 4;-i. e., its openings are vertically below the washer magazines 8 and/or 9a, 9b. These magazines are lled with washers- 18. In this case, the lowermost washer 18 from each magazine always falls through the opening 12 of the Slidell. After the apparatus has been placed on the hole pattern, the lever 15'is moved in the direction of arrow 19, thus causing the slide plate 11 to occupy the position shown in Figure 5. The slide plate has thus been displaced to the left and has carried with it a washer in each of its openings. These washers now come to register with the passage opening 7 whereby they can drop down in the provided manner onto the shoulders of the dies 6, thus occupying the position indicated at 18a in Figure 5.

The centers of the punching dies 6 and the washer magazines 8 and/or 9 must, of necessity, be displaced laterally with regard to one another; however, only by a distance smaller than the diameter of the washers. This has the advantage that the weight of the column of washers will press upon the lowermost laterally displaced washer until the last moment, thus maintaining the same in horizontal position and preventing any slanting and/ or oblique dropping of the latter.

In the inoperative position of the slide plate 11 according to Figure 4, one passage opening of the same is located registering below the washer magazine 9a so that a washer may enter directly in the opening of the slide plate registering therewith. However, at the magazine 9b to the right, the exit from the magazine through the slide plate 11 is blocked. If the slide plate 11 is moved by actuating the hand lever 15 in the direction of arrow 19, the slide will feed the washer inserted in its opening to register with the die 6a and cause the same to drop down on the latter. On the other hand, at the rear end of the slide (right side in Figure 4), the opening in the same below the magazine 9b registers with the latter and receives a washer therefrom. If the slideis moved from its position near the base of the heel (left side in Figure 4) to its position near the heel end (right side in Figure 4) by releasing the hand lever 15 and togetherv therewith the spring 17, the slide will feed with its right side end the washer inserted therein to the corresponding die 6b and cause the washer to drop down on the latter. After lifting the apparatus from a heel form pattern and placing the same anew on another one, the operation may be repeated.

With regard to the magazines located near the center of the heel, it is generally unimportant whether a washer is fed at the forward or return stroke of the slide.

Figure 7 illustrates, in cross sectional view, the part of Figure 3 comprising the magazine 9b. This figure il lustrates how the pressure P from the column of washers 18 in magazine 9b holds the washer 18a, which is. being transported in the direction of arrow M by slide plate 11, in strictly horizontal position until the very instant that this washer 18a may drop downwardly onto the supporting pin 19 of die 6b. This is due to the fact that the distance D1 between the centers of the column of washers 18 in the magazine 9b and the center of the supporting pin 19 is smaller than the diameter D2 of the washer 18a. -ln order to simplify the illustration, figures in the drawing only show a device for charging one block pattern, which may serve to charge subsequently all block patterns of a block plate. However, it is also possible to combine several such apparatus to a larger plate-like device which may in its entity be placed on a forming plate. The projections 14 of the individual slides may be connected by a suitable rod mechanism or other applicable means, thus enabling all block patterns of a form plate to be simultaneously charged with washers by an actuation trom one single spot.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:v

l. An-apparatus for placing washers onto the washersupporting pins of rubber heel molds comprising a mold 'having ,a heel-shaped mold cavity, a plurality of washersupporting pins protruding upwardly from thebottom of said mold cavity, an upper and lower plate being spacedly arranged in parallel relation, a slide plate slidably fitting in the interspace between said upper and lower plate, the thickness of said slide plate being thinner and the spacing between said upper and lower plate being only slightly greater than the thickness of the washers to be handled by the apparatus, said lower plate having passage openings therein coaxially with said supporting pins, said upper plate being provided with openings therein displaced relative to the passage openings in said lower plate, a plurality of lwasher magazines each of which communicates with one of the openings in said upper plate and carried by the upper plate, said slide plate being provided with holes for receiving washers from said magazines through the openings in the upper plate and for transmitting the washers t-o said passage openings in the lower plate; said holes in the slide plate being adapted for registration with the openings in the upper plate and, upon displacement of the slide plate between the upper and lower plate, with the corresponding openings in the lower plate; the centers of said magazines and of the openings in the upper plate being displaced from 'the central axes 4of the corresponding passages in the lower plate and corresponding supporting pins by a distance smaller than the diameter of thel washers, so that the weight of the staple of washers remaining in the magazine presse-s upon the washer in the hole of the slide plate and prevents tilting thereof untilthe slide plate hole fully registers with the corresponding opening in the lower plate and the displaced washer can drop therethrough onto the corresponding supporting pin.

2. An apparatus for placing washers onto the washer- -supporting pins of rubber heel molds comprising a mold having a heel-shaped mold cavity, a plurality of washersupporting pins protruding upwardly from the bottom of said mold cavity, an upper and lower plate being spacedly arranged in parallel relation, a slide plate slidably fitting in the interspace between said upper and lower plate,- the thickness of said slide plate being thinner and the spacing between said upper and lower plate being only slightly greater than the thickness of the washers to be handled by the apparatus, said lower plate having passage openings therein coaxially with said supporting pins, said Vupper plate being provided with openings therein displaced relative to the passage openings in said lower plate, a plurality of washer magazines each of which communicates with one of the openings in said upper plate and ,carried by the upper plate, said slide plate being provided with holes for receiving Washers from said magazines through the openings in the upper plate and for transmitting the washers to said passage openings in the lower plate; said holes in the slide plate being adapted for registration with the openings in the upper plate and, upon displacement of the slide plate between the upper and lower plate, with the corresponding openings in the lower plate; said magazines comprising one group displaced in one direction from the holes in the lower plate and the corresponding supporting pins and another group displaced in the opposite direction from the holes in the lower plate and the corresponding supporting pins, so that the washers from a part of said magazines are released into the holes of said slide plate when the slide plate is moved in one direction and the washers from the remaining magazines are released when the slide plate is moved in the other direction, thereby providing a shortened operative space for the slide plate actuating mechanism and uniform accessibility of all marginal portions of the heel in the heel mold.

' prevents'tilting thereof, until the slide plate hole'fully 5 registers with the opening in the lower plate and the displaced washer can drop therethrough ont-o the supporting pin.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the displacements of the washer magazines relative to the hole corresponding thereto are always toward the center of the heel mold.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Olin Nov. 2, 1915 Krivosky et al. June 22, 1920 Carter June 22, 1926 Kmentt Mar. 1, 1927 Bertone Mar. 27, 1928 

